News that’s close to home

A Sydney-based same-sex couple was allegedly murdered by New South Wales police officer, Beau Lamarre-Condon on 19 February. Luke Davies, a 29-year-old Qantas flight attendant, was killed alongside his 26-year-old partner Jesse Baird, a popular TV presenter, at Baird’s home in the nearby suburb of Paddington. Luke is shown far left in the image above.

For a myriad of reasons, this crime has attracted intense media attention. First, Sydneysiders are shocked that an officer of the law, sworn to protect others, would commit such a callous pre-mediated act. People are equally stunned he used a police-issued firearm, which he kept at home for days, before finally using it to commit murder. 

The crime appears to have been driven by a delusional obsession with Jesse Baird. Stories are emerging of the accused cop stalking him for months, breaking into his home, accessing his phone, and trolling him online. Understandably, commentators are asking how anyone with such dysfunctional behaviour found his way into the force and then went unnoticed as he stalked another man.

Sadly, these men were murdered during the LGBTIQA+ community’s annual Mardi Gras festival. This event has a complex history of both activism and police brutality, after a protest march in 1978 resulted in dozens of people being beaten and arrested by local officers. In recent years, a Special Commission of Inquiry into LGBTIQ hate crimes uncovered systematic failures by the force to protect and defend the rights of community members. 

Understandably, news of a police officer killing a same-sex couple has cast a shadow over the festival. The community's grief and anger have then been compounded by the NSW Police Commissioner’s clumsy actions. Days after news of the murders broke, she formally apologised for the force’s failure to investigate past gay hate crimes, including unsolved homicides. For a second time in a week, the community was reminded of the violence and hatred it had experienced at the hands of police.

In a strange twist of fate, Garry and I recently met Luke Davies. He was a cabin attendant on our flight to Europe last month. He served us and fellow first-class passengers on the Sydney to Singapore leg. We also witnessed him caring for an elderly man with dementia, and his distressed wife, during the flight.

Luke is also a former resident of Moore Park Gardens, the residential complex where we live. Apparently, he owned a small dog that he’d walk daily in the local dog park. I don’t recall ever meeting him. However, some of our dog-owning friends knew him well.

The proximity of Luke’s life and death is rather unnerving. I can honestly say it’s the first time I’ve ever had any personal connection with a murder victim. 

Image: Sydney Morning Herald

Tourists for a day

We’ve been going to Nuremberg every year for business (setting aside the pandemic hiatus) since 2016. We’d normally fly in on the day before the opening of Spielwarenmesse, an international trade show, then fly out again on the show’s final day. As a result, we’ve seen very little of the city itself. 

In 2017, we flew in a day earlier than normal and spent time visiting a few of its famous sights. This month we decided to repeat the exercise. Flights to London were insanely expensive on Saturday, the trade show’s final day. As a result, it would cost far less to stay an extra night and fly the following day. However, the only return flight available departed late evening, leaving a full day for exploring the city.

In the Middle Ages, German kings (known as Holy Roman Emperors after their coronation by the Pope) didn’t have a capital but voyaged from one imperial castle to the next hosting congress-style meetings called Diets. In 1356, Nuremberg was chosen to host the first Imperial Diet of every newly elected ruler, a tradition that continued until 1594. As a result, the town and its castle became pivotal in establishing the new leader’s authority. It was this heritage that inspired Hitler to host his infamous militarized rallies here. 

We kicked off our day with a late breakfast, before checking out of the hotel. Our first stop was Spittlertorturm, a defensive tower on the southwest corner of a medieval stone wall that still encircles the old city’s western fringe. In Summer you can climb the tower and walk the wall’s ramparts towards the Pegnitz River. During winter, access is closed so all we could do was follow the wall’s perimeter through the back streets of the old town.

Our route took us across the river and, towards the cobblestone pavers of Weißgerbergasse, a picturesque lane framed by half-timbered medieval homes. As we wandered closer to the centre of town we came across a restaurant we’d dined at earlier the week. I was surprised to see it sat in a plaza opposite Sebalduskirche, a massive medieval stone church.

As we passed through the Hauptmarkt, we were greeted by an animated midday performance in the Frauenkirche clock tower. This gothic-style Catholic church is home to the Männleinlaufen, a mechanical clock commemorating the Golden Bull of 1356. In all the years we’ve been coming to Nuremberg we never knew this clock existed.

The clock was installed in the church between 1506 and 1509. It depicts the seated Holy Roman Emperor surrounded by his prince-electors (the nobility who vote for his ascension). Once a day, at noon, a chiming bell starts the clock's sequence. A series of trumpeters and a drummer then raise their instruments and proclaim the hour. They're followed by a procession of electors who guide past the Emperor on a revolving platform.

We stopped to explore the iconic Lorenzkirche (Lawrence Church), an imposing Gothic church standing on the old’s town main boulevard. Its original structure was erected between 1243 and 1315. One of Nuremberg’s metro stations exits just outside this building, so we often pass it on our way to and from dinner. 

In 1943, on St. Lawrence Day (August 10), the building was hit by Allied bombs and was significantly destroyed. On January 2, 1945, another bomb caused the entire roof of the nave to collapse. The building was painstakingly restored and reopened in 1952.

Our final stop for the day was Nuremberg Castle. In all the years we’ve been coming to town, we’ve never ventured inside this iconic building. It sits on a rocky outcrop on the northernmost fringe of the old town. Posters and pamphlets around town are often decorated with its instantly recognisable silhouette.  

The entry fee was well worth the effort. It gave us access to the castle’s impressive Tiefer Brunnen (Deep Well), as well as its soaring keep, the Sinwell Tower. The castle itself houses a permanent exhibition about medieval Nuremberg, the Holy Roman Empire and castle life. Several rooms are dedicated to warfare and weapons of the era, including ornate suits of armour and some rather fearsome pikes and swords.

The Deep Well was fascinating. Its shaft extends more than 50 metres into the rock outcrop on which the castle is built. A tour guide brings this incredible feat of engineering to life by pouring water into the well. It takes at least four seconds for the sound to reverberate after hitting the bottom.

Garry and I both enjoyed the permanent exhibition. However, a climb up the wooden spiral staircase of Sinwell Tower was definitely the day’s highlight. The view of the old town from its enclosed turret was memorable, to say the least. However, a stiff cold breeze blowing through its open windows kept our visit relatively brief.

After a light meal in town, we eventually made our way back to the hotel to collect our luggage and head for the airport. We finally reached our hotel in London shortly before midnight. The following day we ventured into Soho for lunch with Aedhmar, my former CEO at Text 100. I’ve not seen her in person since November 2018, so our reunion was something special. 

It's hard to believe it's been almost 24 years since we first really connected. While we probably saw each other at a company event in 1998 we don’t recall meeting. We were also based on separate continents. As a result, we first spent quality time together during a two week secondment I took in San Francisco in 2000.

From lunch, we dashed back to Paddington to collect our luggage and then onto Heathrow. We gave the Cathay Pacific First Class Lounge a try as online reviewers rate it better than the Qantas lounge.  I can confidently report that those online accolades are spot on. The lounge was much quieter, with a dedicated dining room and spectacular airfield views. A few hours later we lifted off and our time in Europe was done for another year.

I'll leave you with some unfinished business. Below are images of Narrenschiffbrunnen, an incomplete water fountain installed in a small plaza in Nuremberg's old town, in 1988. Apparently, the city council vetoed donations offered to complete its waterworks and thus remains abandoned on its tiny plinth. 

According to its patron, the ship should overflow like a fountain bowl and water should bubble out of the galleon figures, the crow and the wine glass. Why the miserable characters? The 3.60 m high bronze sculpture of a little boat, filled with a rather unhappy crowd, symbolises an unsustainable world threatened with destruction.

Bamberg

We flew into Nuremberg late evening on Sunday in preparation for the annual Spielwarenmesse trade show. The event didn’t start until Tuesday so Garry and I took a day trip to Bamberg on Monday. The town was recommended to us by friends who’d stayed here while attending Spielwarenmesse last year.

Bamberg boasts a remarkably well-preserved medieval old town that straddles the banks of the Regnitz River. For a time, it was the ecclesiastical capital of Bavaria. When Henry II, Duke of Bavaria, became King of Germany in 1007 he made Bamberg the seat of a bishopric, intended to become a 'second Rome'.

 

As a result, the town boasts some impressive buildings including a massive cathedral, a sprawling hilltop monastery complex (complete with its own impressive church), and a series of secular government buildings. One of its most iconic buildings, is the old Town Hall, a colourful multi-story building straddling a narrow islet amid a river channel.

After a leisurely breakfast at our hotel, we caught the train to Bamberg, arriving shortly after 11:40am. We then spent several hours wandering the pedestrianized streets of the old town. This included Maximilianspl and on towards Obere Brücke, an elegant stone arch bridge that links to a passageway through the old town hall's eastern wing.

The Altes Rathaus is a landmark building for obvious reasons. Its eastern facade is framed by dark beams reminiscent of English Tudor architecture, while its northern and southern facades are decorated by massive murals covering the entire wall. Both ends of the building protrude over the edge of the river channel making the building look a little too big for the island on which it resides.

We then walked up to Michelsberg Monastery to soak in views of the region, including the red-tiled roofs of the old town. Unfortunately, the complex itself was closed for renovation and many of its picturesque buildings were enclosed in scaffolding. Instead, we walked back down the hill and stopped to explore the Bamberger Dom.

The cathedral was consecrated by Emperor Henry II on 6 May 1012. In 1185 the cathedral and the neighboring buildings were gutted by a devastating fire. The cathedral was rebuilt and reopened in 1237. This resurrected structure has remained largely unchanged until today.

I was surprised to learn that it’s also the final resting place for one pope. Although one of its weirdest highlights must be a venerated bone relic from Bishop Otto the First. This gruesome artifact sits in a bejeweled glass display in a small stone crypt under the main altar. Catholic traditions can be a little odd.

We then stopped for a leisurely late lunch at Kachelofen, a tiny hole-in-the-wall Franconian restaurant set in an old, ramshackle timber-clad parlor. The venue was full, but the staff found us space on a shared table where we made friends with a lively Bulgarian entrepreneur. He was very excited to meet his first real Australians. 

The image above, ripped from the restaurant's website, gives you an excellent feel for this quirky venue. Our table was to the left of this image in the opposing corner of the room. No prizes for guessing Garry's meal; another pork knuckle and potato dumpling platter.

Once lunch was done we made our way back to the station via the scenic Little Venice riverbank district where we caught the 4:00pm train back to Nuremberg. Bamberg was a picturesque old town. It was also clear from the infrastructure we saw that it’s a popular destination in Summer. I can only imagine the crowds it attracts when the weather is warmer.

Cruising down memory lane

On our final day in London, Garry and I took advantage of the unseasonally sunny weather. We checked out of our Airbnb apartment, put our bags into storage, and made our way to the Thames via Embankment Station. We then walked along the riverfront, past the bas relief Battle of Britain memorial, as far as Westminster.

On a whim, we decided to book a cruise down the Thames. We honestly can't recall ever doing this while living in the UK. The boat took us from Westminster to the Tower of London, passing the London Eye, the Royal Festival Hall, the Tate Modern, and The Shard, among other sights. It was the perfect end to an incredible week of remarkably good weather. I still can't believe we sat on the boat's open-air top deck in late January soaking up the sights under blue skies. 

After disembarking, we took a walk past the Tower of London, the old Roman Wall, and up Minories Road to check out Garry's old office building. I've often wondered why the section of wall from Roman times remains standing near Tower Station. A plaque near the wall finally solved the mystery.  Until the 1950s this section of the wall had been incorporated into the structure of a building that stood here for centuries. 

We finished our trip down memory lane with a walk across Tower Bridge, then made our way along the Thames as far as London Bridge Station. Along the way, we spotted several quirky animal sculptures from the Sculpture duo, Gillie And Marc. This included a gang of African wild animals on a bicycle made for ten, plus an appearance by two familiar characters, Rabbitwoman and Dogman, riding a moped with an exhilarated Zebra. 

These sculptures are part of a temporary exhibit of 11 sculptures scattered around central London. Each is designed to draw attention to the plight of animals whose habitats are dwindling in the face of human encroachment. It runs from November 2023 until September 2024. Earlier in the week we'd spotted Rabbitwoman and Dogman commuting to work in a motorbike and sidecar outside Spitalfields Market.

Once we reached London Bridge Station, it was time to head back to Paddington and transfer to Heathrow for our flight to Nuremberg. We had just enough time for a quick meal in the First Class Lounge before it was time to board. Our flight departed early and arrived ahead of schedule. As a result, we checked into our hotel in Nuremberg shortly before 11:00pm.